“We Don’t Fear Them” — Magic Beat Pistons, Lead Series 2-1

Bane ties Magic playoff record as Orlando downs Pistons

Desmond Bane hit seven threes and scored 25 as Orlando beat Detroit 113-105 to go up 2-1. Paolo Banchero added 25-12-9 in front of a home crowd as the eighth seed shocks the East’s best.

Magic fend off top-seeded Pistons to take shock 2-1 series lead in playoffs. The Pistons now trail 2-1 and must win three of four to avoid elimination...

The Orlando Magic fended off a late rally by the top-seeded Detroit Pistons to take a surprise 2-1 lead in their NBA playoff series on Saturday.

Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane top-scored for Orlando with 25 points apiece as the eighth-seeded Magic pulled off a stirring 113-105 win in front of their home crowd.

Victory briefly looked in doubt after Orlando’s 17-point fourth-quarter lead was erased during a powerful late surge by Cade Cunningham, who led all scorers with 27 points.

After nudging into a one-point lead with three minutes left, Detroit didn’t score again. Orlando closed out the win with a 9-0 run.

With barely 30 seconds left, Banchero’s three-point effort bounced off the heel, looped up in the air and dropped straight through the net to seal the win.

Banchero added 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Bane matched the Orlando playoff record with seven three-pointers.

“We know how we stack up. We know what we've got in this locker room. And so we don't fear them,” Banchero said.

🏆 SATURDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏆

Paolo flirts with a triple-double as the @OrlandoMagic win Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs presented by @Google!

Desmond Bane: 25 PTS, 7 REB, 7 3PM
Franz Wagner: 17 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST
Jalen Suggs: 15 PTS, 3 3PM… pic.twitter.com/ahDp8gmyqf

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2026

Orlando are the lowest seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, having barely crept in with a last-gasp play-in win over the Charlotte Hornets.

They’ll have a chance to extend their lead when they host Game 4 on Monday, before the teams head back to Detroit.

The Pistons comfortably topped the East with a 60-22 regular-season record. But they now need to win three of the four possible remaining games to avoid elimination.

WAGIC WIN 🪄 pic.twitter.com/tq5JzX2eDj

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 25, 2026

“We got a lot of respect. We just want to bring it on Monday,” said Banchero.